[0:00] I've got 636, call the meeting to order. Approval the agenda that may be amended. I think you got a phone call on Friday afternoon after three o'clock, something about solar panels. So let's put it down at number 16,

[0:22] a citizen called in about solar panels. So we're putting it on, but the agenda was already set before that.

[0:32] Anybody else have anything else they would like to add or change or

[0:40] can I get a motion to accept the minutes that were amended to the agenda?

[0:44] The agenda?

[0:45] The agenda, I'm sorry.

[0:46] Yeah, so moved.

[0:47] Can I get a second?

[0:48] Second.

[0:48] All in favor.

[0:50] All right.

[0:50] Approve of the minutes.

[0:52] I'm going to start first with August 24th.

[0:56] 31st first.

[1:00] I don't see anything.

[1:03] Could I get a motion first to approve the minutes of August 24th?

[1:07] I get a second.

[1:09] Second.

[1:11] Anybody have anything in it?

[1:30] All in favor?

[1:31] All right.

[1:33] And I get a motion to approve the minutes of August 31st.

[1:37] So moved.

[1:38] I get a second.

[1:40] Second.

[1:41] All those in favor?

[1:42] I have a question about that.

[1:44] So under internal financial controls,

[1:47] it said I seconded the motion.

[1:49] But John, you commented last time we got together

[1:54] that I actually brought up. I would not sign that financial controls checklists.

[1:59] Now, you, you, you, you, you second the conversation like now, but then you can question. So,

[2:06] you, let's see the select one review of the internal financial

[2:08] control list. The town is select what discussed changes. They would like to see from the

[2:13] answer provided on the checklists. Have made a motion if it's like what you had

[2:21] I think but the second of the motion was different than you were

[2:26] in the comments.

[2:27] And which was more of a comment.

[2:29] If you would like to prove it.

[2:31] If you want to add what anybody you had said, then just say,

[2:35] what you like added in there.

[2:37] Yes.

[2:37] What I'd like added in is that I advised chairman

[2:41] half that I would not sign this without more work.

[2:45] Okay.

[2:46] So we've got that in there, so anything else, all those in favor of the August 31st minutes with that edition, say aye.

[2:57] Hi.

[2:57] Citizens input and concerns will start in the room first, calling the back.

[3:02] Butch, merrients, their first nothing.

[3:07] Yay, Mona.

[3:09] Keb.

[3:10] Yeah.

[3:12] So the summer I had defense,

[3:18] well, Fence couldn't be repaired at the corner of Berkhalo

[3:23] Road and the killing of, from the town plowing the snow, from not with you drive up against

[3:33] the fence, and it was not comparable. So I had it by 8 by 8 posts and

[3:42] fencing, and I hired a carpenter to dig holes for the posts and put up the fence, and so

[3:59] Although I know Chad said that his guide did not push snow from Mountain View Drive onto the fence, but I watched them do it, but over the years it's happened, and this is the third time I had to actually pay to have it repaired.

[4:19] So, I have about $450 into labor and materials, and so I would greatly appreciate it if the select board, the chairman, the town manager, somebody speak to the, to Chad.

[4:40] I don't know what's the last name, and tell them that I, I don't want to have to repair it again next spring, and I know they have to push the snow somewhere,

[4:55] but as long as that somewhere is not against my, my now new fence, and I have a horse who, who's got, now a couple of times,

[5:09] And I walk the fence with my carpenter and we fix everything and that's important to me.

[5:24] And I have our dog aside, but we have friends who come and bring their dogs.

[5:29] And I don't want any dog or horse getting hit on the Killington Road.

[5:36] So my request is that the interim time manager or somebody from the select board speak with Chad and find another place to push the snow that's not on my property and against my fence.

[5:59] Okay, so the chair is part of the select board just gonna it's not the select board on the chair. We're just the whole one

[6:07] No, I'm just kind of

[6:12] we don't talk to the employees

[6:16] So town manager, please talk to him. Absolutely. It's a day-to-day stuff

[6:22] Thank you

[6:23] chat

[6:27] Roger

[6:34] Anybody online have something in Citizens Input

[6:41] hearing none? Mission, form,

[6:46] her historic marker. I think Sarah Zell is online. I see you, Sarah, and you

[6:51] get your mic off. Go ahead.

[6:59] Come on, here, John.

[7:01] Here's that point. I think it's her. There you go.

[7:07] So, yeah, I think that

[7:08] paperwork was said over to the town. We've been working on this for a long time. Can you

[7:15] make a key? We did, yeah.

[7:19] So it's just one of those green roadside historic markers that

[7:25] you see as you drive and we're working with the state on it.

[7:30] And we're in kind of final approval with them. And I think you guys should have received the wording of this talk marker. It's too excited.

[7:41] And I get a motion from the board to approve the mission.

[7:46] The bomb is for a lot of historic site marker.

[7:50] Sorry.

[7:51] I'll get a second.

[7:53] Second.

[7:54] I'll see you get the second there.

[7:56] Any questions on this?

[7:58] It's a green marker.

[8:00] It's like a little foresighted marker.

[8:04] Sarah.

[8:05] Okay.

[8:06] It's just on the property.

[8:07] And it's a historic marker.

[8:11] Any other questions, Bill?

[8:12] Any questions, John?

[8:14] All those in favor say aye.

[8:15] And they're all good, they're so, thank you.

[8:21] Madden's is this one?

[8:23] Yeah, sure.

[8:30] So, I want to share a bit of an update on where we stand with my co-floor priorities and more tonight.

[8:40] So, the forensic audit from Barry Dunn, we're actually meeting with them a group of us from town hall

[8:47] and a couple of what people will be part of it, but just to give you a quick idea, it's

[8:56] going to look back at the last three fiscal years, 23 through 25, and they're going to examine

[9:02] very thoroughly the general fund activity, personnel, payroll, capital expenditures, department

[9:09] budgets, grants, bond, projections, and reporting, and a lot of internal controls.

[9:15] And we kicked this off, it was Fito, who's not here tonight, because he's on vacation.

[9:22] Jim and myself, and we met with Alan Goodwin, who's their senior business development manager.

[9:30] And then we had a follow-up call with him on August 26th,

[9:35] just to make sure that everything was right and an included a three year retrospective.

[9:42] And late last week was actually Friday, I got the final report back from him that he's going

[9:48] to share tomorrow with our internal team, and things are moving along nicely.

[9:55] We anticipate results will be back in about six months, so so far, all good.

[10:02] Second thing is on the banking front.

[10:05] We were successful in getting a what we call a tan.

[10:11] So it's a tax anticipation, no or loan, and we got that two weeks ago, Wednesday, September

[10:19] 2nd, for $3,477,538 from community bank to help us with our financial needs, so

[10:31] all good, very successful.

[10:33] This one's going to go under the heading of one of two things.

[10:37] It's either in your pick.

[10:39] Okay, so this one's either sound the trumpets, or fasten your seat belts and get ready,

[10:46] but one of my favorite priorities that I was assigned was to get some work done on the

[10:52] killington rodents and some other roads, and I am really, really thrilled that Mike,

[10:58] I think his last name is Mollon, yes it is, Mike has said that he's weighed the green flag,

[11:06] and he's getting those engines revved up and a lift, this is critical.

[11:12] Next Thursday, the 24th Pike Paving, will begin resurfacing the uphill side of the

[11:19] killington road from Anthony Way up to Dean Hill Road, and then will also participate in

[11:26] doing the downhill side from approximately Dean Hill Road to around Jackson.

[11:33] Beyond that, on September 10th was Thursday, there was a proposal signed for securing

[11:42] Nikon Coding's, which due the crack scene, and Chad has them lined up for about a one-and-a-half

[11:51] to two miles stretch, up and down the access road, Millerbrook, Rocky Ridge, Tanglewood,

[11:57] and coffee house road areas. So, we want to get all this ready or winter. He also has contacted

[12:06] Green Mountain Line Striping and we've contracted with them to begin in any where from two to three weeks

[12:13] to correct the safety issue in certain sections of the access road. So the first one is from just above

[12:20] the lookout where it's not striped in the center of the road and on the edges and it'll go up to

[12:27] just about where the turn would be into East Mountain Road by the

[12:31] discularity. So that's going to get striped and taken care of two to three

[12:35] weeks. Additionally, thanks to Bill Vines, he was able to share with us that in

[12:42] days of yesterday's year, there was striping and directional arrows at the

[12:47] bottom of the access road, which have worn down almost the evaporated. I would

[12:55] to me. Yeah, I agree. So the good news is we're going to have them do that section as well

[13:01] to prevent any further safety issues. And just so you know, Bill's notes said to me that someone

[13:06] was in the right lane. And that lane at the bottom of the access road is designed to go either across

[13:12] into the welcome center or make the small right hand turn. Well, somebody was there and apparently

[13:18] cut in front of the folks in the left hand lane that are supposed to turn left. And that could have

[13:24] Yeah, pretty bad situation right sit down there at 330 on a Saturday and you'll see it all the time

[13:31] Day

[13:31] Because you're with a brand new right

[13:37] Okay, another priority has been to get outsourced financial controls for these large

[13:44] Tiff and theme of projects with expertise that frankly we have not had recently in house and it may have been quite some time since we had it

[13:53] They do we never really have it, but at any event on September 3, we contracted with Cedar,

[14:00] and that's the Chamber and Economic Development Group in Rutland Region, and they are providing

[14:07] our town with financial compliance, remediation, and stabilization, consulting and support

[14:14] services to help access current projects, funding sources, and to identify financial practices

[14:21] currently in place. We're really lucky and proud to have Ms. Shasta Matino. She is

[14:29] director of finance and operations. For them and she will become our

[14:35] defacto director of finance and operations on a part-time basis for the town.

[14:42] And she's here to handle the day-to-day financial work. She was in last week.

[14:46] We worked several days together with a variety of us in town all. She's in

[14:51] tomorrow morning as well and for several days this week. But just to give the

[14:55] idea of how she's going to approach this, it's very thorough. It's going to be

[14:59] three faces.

[15:00] So the first phase is going to be assessment and stabilization, and that'll take approximately four months.

[15:08] But she's already said to me, I think I'm moving faster than that. So I said, great news, right?

[15:14] So it's all designed to establish a very comprehensive understanding of the town's current projects, the grants, funding sources, and financial processes currently in place.

[15:26] And I identify how funding is allocated to each project assess existing financial and compliance practices and to determine what deficiencies or risks exist and prioritize issues require immediate attention and corrective action.

[15:45] So there will be some very solid deliverables coming from that. You'll learn more as the week's go by.

[15:52] Second phase is going to be immediate remediation and grant stabilization that will go on from approximately month four through seven.

[16:01] And it's going to focus on going after the highest priority financial grant and compliance deficiencies identified in the first phase.

[16:10] In the third phase, we will have implementation and transition, and the objective there is to

[16:18] transition the town from remediation to sustainable compliance by implement, thanks to the

[16:26] list of the not.

[16:27] And sustainable compliance by implementing standardized financial and grant management processes,

[16:36] strengthening internal controls, establishing clear accountability, and developing consistent

[16:43] procedures for managing multiple funding sources.

[16:49] So in the end, when Shasta is finished with us, it should be the end of June in 27.

[16:56] We're going to have a clear understanding of our financial and grant compliance obligations,

[17:02] documented processes for managing all the obligations will have a strengthened internal control

[17:08] process and will have reconciled and corrected a lot of the things that were identified,

[17:15] But that's not all.

[17:17] We're also very pleased to announce that we have separately retained a governmental accounting

[17:24] advisory service from Ms. Sarah Macy. And Sarah is a very trusted independent CPFO.

[17:35] In case you don't know what that means. It's a certified public financial officer,

[17:40] consultant and advisor to local governments in Vermont and New England.

[17:45] She's been over the last 17 years, a specialist, and an expert in governmental accounting,

[17:51] budgeting, debt management, and tax, implement, financing.

[17:56] She's currently director of finance and administration at the city of St.

[18:00] Olvin's in Vermont.

[18:02] She's actually taught classes at UVM in the master's program for those that are

[18:09] in accounting, looking to go on, and actually earn their CPA track.

[18:14] So, she's going to be retained that she's available on an hourly basis by Paul

[18:19] email, video call, for occasional questions that need to be answered, and she's already begun

[18:25] working collaboratively with Shaston, you know, so that we're surrounding what our financial

[18:31] needs and how to remediate are.

[18:36] And are both of these people getting the access they need from the people we have?

[18:40] Yeah, they are.

[18:41] In fact, she will both of them are, but yet tomorrow we're actually having Shaston meet with

[18:48] several of our folks in turn, and she already has.

[18:50] I mean, he's met with the listeners and Lisa and others in the organization.

[18:55] Yeah, read only on them right on us all.

[18:57] That's right.

[18:59] I have read only.

[18:59] Read only.

[19:00] Yeah.

[19:00] Thank you, Jim.

[19:01] Good point.

[19:04] The other area is just to finish off are we were able to recon-track with R8 Smith as the town's

[19:13] auditor because we discovered in early August that after 15 years their contract was not

[19:20] We had a scramble, we did, we got resigned, and it's good that we did, because now with

[19:25] what's going on with the work we need to do with Pepsi, it's a pretty serious time to not have

[19:32] an order.

[19:34] Well, it certainly was, and that's why Jim, to your point, August 4th, we signed the

[19:40] in the next order agreement for fiscal 2027.

[19:46] Last two areas were three areas,

[19:48] gaining significant non-file financial reimbursement from FEMA.

[19:53] You may recall that we signed a contract.

[19:57] It was July 21st with TRC WSP.

[20:03] A gentleman working with us as name is Josh Robinson.

[20:07] He's been conducting every week,

[20:09] a very comprehensive document recovery and filing assistance, and he's been working with us

[20:16] and the states Charlie U, who is from the state of Vermont Flood Recovery Team and the Vermont

[20:23] Emergency Management Team, and it's all designed to capture all reimbursements and establish

[20:29] proper administrator procedures going forward. Later tonight in the agenda, I believe it's number

[20:35] team gym. There'll be more discussion on that. Last two areas did a posting on September 2nd

[20:43] for a new fire chief. The posting will stay open until the 1st of October. We've had

[20:49] two people that expressed some interest. One of them dropped out literally yesterday because

[20:54] he was from out of state way out of state. I wrote them and said, are you sure you want to

[20:58] stand? This isn't in Georgia. This is in killing him for a month. He said, I'm withdrawing

[21:05] applications. Okay, fine. Last area is the tax notification sale that will be coming up. This

[21:12] Thursday, the 17th. I'm really happy to report that the town has collected from six of the

[21:19] top, not of the top. Six of the 10, the Lincoln tax property owners. And that has totaled $112,

[21:28] 1,248 dollars and what we will do is we will meet on Thursday, we'll need someone from the

[21:37] select board gym, you can go through that and that'll be a 10 a.m. here Thursday morning

[21:42] the 17 and the balance of the 10, right? So six we got four more, those four will go to the

[21:56] So just a couple little lines driving is going from the look out to the substation that's not going always up to.

[22:07] I'm sorry.

[22:07] It's going up to the substation.

[22:09] It's joining the two steps.

[22:10] It's joining the two steps.

[22:12] All right.

[22:13] Thank you.

[22:13] All right.

[22:14] And then anybody that's on the four lists the four outstanding.

[22:18] Yes.

[22:19] They still have right before that time.

[22:22] Okay.

[22:23] It's a peg or make a.

[22:25] But that's significant, that we got that money.

[22:28] So, pretty broad is my point.

[22:50] I think that's what it's said on a tax sale table. Okay, so thank you, Mark. Thank you, Mark.

[23:01] Great. Next up, Pepsi, follow up. Next steps, discussion, let it to the editor. John, you've

[23:09] been the point of contact.

[23:16] So, see, most folks should be aware that on the 31st of August,

[23:26] the interim town manager, the chair, myself, the vice chair, went up to meet with Pepsi and

[23:31] give them an update on the status based on the report that they supplied to us, which was

[23:39] a result of a in-house meeting that they had had with our internal staff members that happened

[23:47] around May 20, May 20, if my recollection is correct. So we've been working on getting answers

[23:55] with our age Smith, our accounting firm, I should say not accounting,

[24:01] auditing firm as well as tracking down various documents to provide

[24:06] to WebC for contractual purposes between the services that we've garnered

[24:13] through very done from Shastamatino and also from Sarah Macy's.

[24:20] So we've provided them documentation on that.

[24:22] have come back with some questions from our most recent document document dump so to speak that we

[24:28] provided them so we're working through getting the finality to those answers. Most of it was

[24:35] that contracts weren't fully executed because we're still in process of finalization so

[24:41] we had for instance a very done we had signed off and very done but they had yet to sign off on it

[24:47] so it was just in limbo but Vepsie wanted some documents and we wanted to make sure that we got them

[24:52] most current documents that we could provide them.

[24:54] So we did that.

[24:57] Then that was the September 4th.

[25:02] This week, coming, we have written progress update

[25:06] required that we will be submitting to WebC, which

[25:09] will also include, as many answers to the questions that

[25:15] resulted from their reporting in May.

[25:18] But also we will provide supporting financial documentation, which will predominantly come from the auditor

[25:25] RH Smith to provide to Vepsie.

[25:28] So we'll be doing that as well.

[25:30] And then the next step is on the 24th, we will be going back up to Muppilir, Rob, myself and Jim,

[25:42] as well as I believe Ron from our each Smith probably and Shasta probably I don't know a

[25:50] several times. I might be online and we'll be presenting again to the Vepsie board

[25:59] our updates at that point. I want to throw it. It will be the first time we're presenting.

[26:05] We had no idea what we were doing up there on that. The reason why I say we had no idea

[26:10] what we were doing is just, from the June 26th in-house, I believe there were some questions

[26:20] that were asked to our finance team.

[26:23] May.

[26:24] You want to run through what we actually did, as the answer is not internally.

[26:29] I don't have it in question.

[26:31] I don't have it in front of me, but we,

[26:38] the town, I'll just leave it at that.

[26:40] And I will say the town replied back to these auditing questions with copy and pasted questions from our auditor back to Vepsie, which I think would make anybody uncomfortable if you would ask for specific information to be provided to you and someone came back to you asking a question that was kind of not really relevant to the specific question that you were responding to.

[27:05] was a very strange transaction of information, and we really, as a town, did not reply to

[27:13] Pepsi and an appropriate fashion.

[27:16] So, it definitely, I think, sparked a lot more questions

[27:21] than it needed to. If we had, as a town, appropriately answered these questions with as much

[27:27] back-based information as possible.

[27:31] We probably wouldn't have ended up in Montpellier.

[27:35] We still would have had subsequent questions

[27:37] and more reporting required in things of this nature undoubtedly,

[27:41] but maybe we wouldn't have ended up in the hot seat

[27:44] that we clearly found ourselves in.

[27:45] And it was a hot seat.

[27:46] I will be honest with you.

[27:47] It was a hot seat.

[27:50] And in most respects, rightfully so,

[27:52] because the town was, in my opinion, fairly negligent

[27:57] and providing information to the reporting body

[28:00] that oversees the TIF program.

[28:02] And there's a lot of money involved.

[28:05] And there's a lot of money involved.

[28:06] People have questions.

[28:06] I think they deserve good answers.

[28:11] And we did not, as a town, provide them anything

[28:14] remotely, what I would consider a good answer.

[28:19] So that was that.

[28:21] So we are in the process of cleaning up the spaghetti that

[28:25] is currently all over the floor.

[28:29] So that gives us

[28:34] the follow-up to the meeting that we were at on August 31st.

[28:38] The next steps you want to do, do you have the dates in front of you, John?

[28:41] Right, so on September 18th again, we're going to provide a written progress update with actual supporting financial documentation for all tasks that have been completed today.

[28:53] So if my recollection is correct, it was 28 questions, I think.

[28:57] I thought it was 23 or 20, so it's in that range and so we are going to provide as much information

[29:05] that is based in fact and with supporting financial documentation from the past year's audits.

[29:12] So we'll be doing that. Again, Thursday the 24th, we as a group will be going to Montpire

[29:20] and we will be presenting to Vepsie our current findings at that point on Friday, October 2nd.

[29:28] We'll provide another written update again with actual financial support and documentation for any additional tasks that had yet to be completed.

[29:38] And by August 15th, we will submit full documented responses to all the issues identified in July 24th, 2026,

[29:46] issue resolution letter, which again was a result of the in-office at the town of Killington

[29:56] office meeting that it occurred with our...

[30:00] Our director of finance and some other staff members on 520, 26.

[30:07] So then, after that on November 19th, again, the town, the interim town manager,

[30:17] the chair,

[30:18] myself, and I assume probably our supporting staff, once again, reappear in Montpire to hopefully

[30:27] bring finality to the entire conversation and that will be much something to look forward

[30:35] to because it's been a lot but it's 100% the responsibility of the town to do our

[30:42] diligence and to be professional and to supply the information necessary to the reporting

[30:48] body and we've failed as a town. It's really that simple.

[30:52] And Ron Smith was here for three days, who two weeks ago, two weeks ago, and his second day being here, he had already said he had probably over 35% of the questions answered as they were right there and the report.

[31:13] We just didn't know how to present the answers to Pepsi and Shasta has found some good information as well, so she's been able to bring a lot of that away.

[31:24] She's got some that she's been working with Ron and Sarah Macy just the simple did we set up a tiff district account for the increment and it was set up.

[31:37] It did have the money in there for 2025 or 2024, and the ending in 2024, June of 25.

[31:48] It doesn't look like we put any funds over for 26 years, but the account is there.

[31:56] And Sarah Macy will get Sarah Macy is working on, I don't know if you have it on the agenda right now, Rob.

[32:03] Do you have the tax?

[32:04] Yes, Dan, yes, we'll talk about that later on.

[32:07] We can not, we can knock that out right now, so Sarah Macy is working with the listers.

[32:14] I think we probably should stick to the answer.

[32:15] You want to stick to it?

[32:18] So the next question up then is,

[32:22] some would like to put a letter to the editor.

[32:25] So.

[32:25] So can I ask you a question about Pepsi right before we get to the editor?

[32:29] Sure.

[32:30] Because I think this would help everybody.

[32:31] So on September, Friday, September 4th, we go back to Pepsi.

[32:35] Correct.

[32:35] And we feel good about that as they got back to us about how they feel about that.

[32:41] Yes, so they have provided us some feedback and they've asked for more

[32:43] finality to some of these different items because again at the time, and I had mentioned it, but you know I understand it was a lot of dialogue.

[32:52] No, that's okay.

[32:55] They'd come back to us seeking answers on more affirmation on some things like the Barry Dunn contract.

[33:02] We knew that it was not fully executed, but we wanted them to be aware that the contract

[33:10] exists that we have executed on our end.

[33:13] We were just waiting for Barry Dunn to complete it and finalize it.

[33:17] So they wanted a copy of that finalization.

[33:22] Sarah Macy's contract because there was a nuance as it relates to her indemnification insurance.

[33:31] So, she wanted to make sure that she was covered under the town's policy, so we were going through legal with that.

[33:37] We provided letter that stated, you know, here's not only here's the contract, but here's, you know, here's the description of where we're at with just creating the finality to it.

[33:48] Our legal department provided the letter.

[33:51] Yes.

[33:53] Well, yes, when I say, when I say, when I say, we the town.

[33:55] It was, you know, through legal, supplied, you know, the necessary documentation for that.

[34:02] So, we're working through that, Shasta, Shasta's contract, and they had also asked about the

[34:13] treasurers' financial controls.

[34:16] Was that the name of the sheet?

[34:17] The other report that you were talking about, and that you had just changed the minute

[34:20] saying that you would not have signed it or whatever.

[34:23] If you were, they stated that it was a 504 vote to, for me to sign it with those changes.

[34:34] We did provide, I did go to the treasurer's office and did email also, and some of the items were not changed.

[34:45] That we had asked to be changed.

[34:48] But we knew we had to sign that letter John from the WebC meeting and I think they just

[34:55] read it was an anonymous vote.

[35:01] I did sign it but I also did sign it and then printed my name and wrote under Dores.

[35:11] They do not like that, but I did not have permission from the full board to sign it.

[35:20] But I knew we needed to sign it, so I was on the dress.

[35:24] Yeah, I did.

[35:25] And I think the dress was, it was not completed to this satisfaction to what the board had discussed.

[35:35] Correct.

[35:36] Yet we needed to provide something to Vepsie because they were clearly on the hunt for this

[35:43] document.

[35:44] They wanted it to be provided.

[35:46] So in order to do so, we had to make progress and so I think rightfully so the chair noted

[35:53] that I think the best way to do is to say under-dress and once I launched my email I can

[36:01] to what I had said to Vepsie and my letter so that everybody understands.

[36:11] Do we have a letter right here? Do you want my father?

[36:13] I think this is the subsequent.

[36:17] Okay.

[36:19] So the way I described it to them because I think it's important in terms of full public disclosure.

[36:26] So my note to them when I included these documents was a good morning, good afternoon, Jessica, a Monday evening, the select board voted 5-0, passing a motion along the chair to sign the Eternal Financial Control document with corrections discussed in detail by the board and open session, which is what we had done that night.

[36:49] The document containing the requested edits was supplied to the treasurer on Tuesday AM with the request from the board to be more accurate and transparent in the response they are in.

[37:01] There has been a series of back and forth with the treasurer, although many of the requested changes were made as approved by the select board somewhere not.

[37:09] At this point, the select board submits this document to Vepsy, this document being the internal financial controls,

[37:16] only in terms of it being received and not that the select board agrees with all the assertions.

[37:24] We simply do not want to delay this response any longer.

[37:29] Form is attached.

[37:31] So that was my note to that. So that they understood why the statement under direct existed on the sheet.

[37:39] I'd like to make a comment. And it's not about that in particular, but John, I really appreciate the work you and Rob and Jim have been doing.

[37:48] Okay, addressing Vepsy. I mean, this is, I mean, we've known that this has been a huge, it's been a multi-administration problem lasting for several years.

[37:56] Okay, we know that there were attempts at the beginning working with people like Shasta to set up a tracking mechanism that for whatever reason wasn't sustainable across multiple administrations

[38:10] I think Rob you saying okay that Shasta at the end the next next June will give us sustainable processes that we can use and I think it's it's very important that we

[38:21] that your frankness about hey we made a mistake and we got to fix it I think that's very

[38:27] important to correct these problems. And I don't agree with just leaving in June of 2027

[38:35] I believe we should be signing on for another five hours a week until we get through this so

[38:41] she can come in and just make sure there's two naps and just verifying and she doesn't even

[38:46] have to come into the office, you could be just verifying.

[38:50] Extend.

[38:51] Doing it.

[38:51] Very good.

[38:53] So, you know.

[38:54] It's a gift.

[38:54] I mean, we all think of this project as building the water line, so to speak.

[39:01] And then some.

[39:03] Overall, project is supposed to be developing some infrastructure that the town will probably

[39:09] use for another 50 years.

[39:11] Okay.

[39:11] And there's all kinds of intricacies associated with the finances for running that.

[39:16] that we're still gonna have to deal with it.

[39:18] So I think having someone who's knowledgeable

[39:21] of it on staff, okay, that we can get access to,

[39:24] is the right thing to do?

[39:25] It's great.

[39:29] So then there's a letter to the editor,

[39:31] would you like to read something, or?

[39:33] No, I actually don't believe we need to write a letter

[39:37] to the editor, and I can explain for everybody here

[39:40] in person or in line.

[39:42] Jim and I kind of went back and forth this past week

[39:44] and two weeks ago.

[39:45] Two weeks and two weeks.

[39:47] I was away this week.

[39:48] That's right.

[39:49] I hope the party was great.

[39:52] A lot of grateful to Ed.

[39:53] It's super.

[39:54] Anyway, it was the Labor Day weekend and I really felt like the response that I was getting

[40:00] from citizens who bumped into me anywhere and whether it's email or the post office, whatever,

[40:06] people really wanted to know what was going on.

[40:09] So I did a draft of a letter and I did not have all of these dates because Vepsie was rattling

[40:16] them off quickly. I took them right out of the mountain times. You said one was not 100% accurate.

[40:22] So we could not get a select board meeting together on that day before the so we could get

[40:29] a letter to the editor before their deadline. Correct. So we're going to come today and present this.

[40:35] Right. I think we've presented this in a crisp enough way that Katie and Polly who are both

[40:41] online I believe and maybe the Rutland Harold can pick up where we are, but we're saying

[40:48] that we are in control and we know what we're moving forward successfully.

[40:53] Correct.

[40:54] So I don't think that I need to write.

[40:56] So at that Saturday that you gave me a call.

[40:59] Okay.

[41:00] And then I tried.

[41:01] You did.

[41:02] But we couldn't.

[41:03] It's not emergency meeting material.

[41:06] I think you and I both did not realize or maybe forgot on Saturday that Monday was a holiday.

[41:12] So, I could not get a special meeting called on a Monday when there was nobody else, there was nobody in the office.

[41:20] So, we waited for today to have a conversation, but I do see Kitty, I do see Polly, and I do see Kiff, Keith Whitcom.

[41:29] See there?

[41:29] On here, he's down lower.

[41:31] Okay.

[41:31] And if they choose to write about it, maybe we can go for a streak and not be in the paper for two weeks.

[41:41] Last week, we were not in the paper at all, I actually called Holly up and told her I was going to have a cigar and a little burden to celebrate not being in the newspaper.

[41:55] So, but if they choose to write, yes, John is hit this pretty well, his response is going back with the information that he is getting from the sources that Rob had read off earlier.

[42:10] So, and I kind of second what Bill has said it, this has been a tremendous amount of work and I appreciate it.

[42:16] We really did.

[42:19] So, so we're going to move on to scheduled public hearing.

[42:24] I guess the only thing I'd like to add on that, if I could, is I want to be clear with the public.

[42:30] This depth of the issue is not a new issue.

[42:33] This issue has been going on for some time, the pastile managers, various people at different

[42:41] levels over the last two years have been well aware that we have issues with our

[42:46] WebC situation with reporting, the auditing, how funds are being tracked or not being tracked

[42:53] for that matter, and there's plenty of information out there that clearly points to that.

[43:00] And I just want to be open and transparent with people.

[43:03] This is not a new issue.

[43:04] We are dealing with it.

[43:06] It is something that we are not going to try to bury our heads or act like.

[43:12] Oh, there's no big problem here.

[43:14] It's a significant problem.

[43:16] It's a serious problem.

[43:17] It's one that's been going on that from my observations.

[43:20] I don't know if I'd say people have ignored.

[43:23] But I think that maybe people have not put as much weight

[43:31] into it or not understood in the way that they should, how important it is, but the fact

[43:37] of the matter is there's been a lot of information exchanged going back like to last

[43:43] August with a lot of key players that it doesn't appear that there was a lot that was done

[43:50] with it.

[43:51] So we are now doing something with it and we will get through this and we will make it

[43:55] right, but understand this is not a new subject.

[44:00] I'm going to throw in as a personal for me.

[44:04] I know a lot of people are saying me, listen, if it was me, I would have ran a year ago.

[44:12] I'm here getting the information with John and our people here.

[44:19] So we're going at this and all the answers are there.

[44:25] It's just we didn't know how to produce the answers in May 20, 20, or 20, 20, 26.

[44:32] May 20, 20, then May 26, 26, 20, May 26, of 20, 26.

[44:39] That went back.

[44:42] But it was the 20.

[44:44] 20, it was the 20.

[44:45] 20, it was the desk, the 26 was an internal incoming here.

[44:51] It did not go well, and then to answer back with questions asked the auditor.

[45:00] Questions online. And the order descends you questions back. And you cut and paste those questions back as your response is not really, I wouldn't receive that. Well, it's very unprofessional is what it is. So anyway, no letter to the editor. There's enough newspaper people that are on and they can take it from there.

[45:30] So schedule public hearing for proposed amendment to Section 407, the short-term rental dwelling units of the land development regulations, and I think Lisa, may or may not be on it is,

[45:50] What I want to say, go ahead Lisa, I didn't realize she was still there.

[45:58] I'm here.

[45:59] I just want this one to be a black board to get a little public.

[46:02] I would like to start board to get a little public hearing.

[46:04] The planning commission, how the public hearing on this last Wednesday.

[46:11] They closed the public hearing.

[46:12] They adopted the file or report and sent it on to the black board.

[46:18] The next step in me, I'm entering the zoning and there's a platform called a public hearing.

[46:26] It has to be worn for at least 15 days, and you have to hold the air within 120 days.

[46:33] So, the timing I don't think you want to get into the discussion and what it's about,

[46:38] but I'm having a brief summary of you, Mike.

[46:40] Just a quick summary, so those are the years in what they're talking about.

[46:45] The land commission would like to a man's section four of staff at the ceiling of the land development regulation and that depends to a short-term dwelling unit.

[46:57] Specifically, that lights an ad item eight would deal with dumpsters.

[47:06] Right now there's been, probably as you notice, that there's a proliferation and may become the right word, but there's a lot of people that have commercial jobs.

[47:15] dumpster that can sell the dumpsters within residential neighbors. And so the planning

[47:22] commission is recommended, some controls, and those controls are, first of all, no dumpsters

[47:32] shall be permitted within the front yard. Step back, number two is that if you're going to use

[47:40] one of those cassette tape dumps there is.

[47:43] Let's just say, God, because there are more than just one.

[47:47] There's a bunch of commercial dumps there, there's a bunch of commercial dumps there.

[47:50] There's a bunch of commercial, there's a bunch of commercial dumps there that you take to the dump.

[47:56] So commercial dumps there that be appropriately screened at this language about what's acceptable.

[48:03] Screening or the third of the second option is that you use one of the

[48:09] approved dumpster, the plant commission is going to maintain the list of dumpsters that

[48:18] they approved that would require screening. Right now, there are two models that they're

[48:23] approving. One is the top box, and the other one I think is Alpine dumpsters, they're both

[48:31] available purchased at the Mountain Park where. So that's a long and short, and they're

[48:39] I don't think we want to get any discussion of and not totally different public hearing, but I will certainly.

[48:45] So October 26.

[48:47] Can't range in because we need to warm for two weeks.

[48:52] October 26, we're on the left set of time, very 20 second.

[48:56] On vacation then.

[48:59] But that's okay.

[49:00] I can have a planning commission.

[49:03] November 9th.

[49:08] So I guess I'm really concerned about November any pushing it out any further is we get more and more into

[49:16] Higher short-term rental season and if we're gonna

[49:20] And the timing of getting it enacted and then the notice time again

[49:24] It was an appeal. We have some appeal and all that stuff

[49:27] I mean we're in past that so November ninth

[49:30] Is that is isn't meeting that we have October 12? I believe is holiday

[49:37] It's a corner.

[49:38] It's a corner today.

[49:39] So we're going to talk about moving that, beating.

[49:44] So the 26.

[49:47] We will just tell that the plant town planet could be here.

[49:50] We said you think, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[49:54] We got a lot of stuff in front of us.

[49:57] And I'm told we still got stuff to do.

[50:01] I think when people come in for short-term roundabout regulation, I would ask that the administrative

[50:08] provides the information people, so they're aware of the cancelled change coming down.

[50:15] So, all we're doing right now is saying a date, so every night, I make a motion for November

[50:22] 9th for the hearing, public hearing, for Section 407, short-term rental, dwelling units,

[50:28] so moved.

[50:29] to get a second. Second. All in favour?

[50:32] All in favour?

[50:33] All in favour?

[50:38] 917 property tax sales. Select voice never is needed.

[50:43] So,

[50:48] the last time we did this was The Hights.

[50:51] I think you should not be involved.

[50:53] I'm not going to be involved in it.

[50:55] But what you do is you sit there,

[50:57] and we need to appoint one person, and you sit there.

[51:00] and there's four properties up for sale. You say nothing. Jim Barlow is handling

[51:06] contact sales. If no one bids on something, they'll say going once, going twice,

[51:18] three times, with the towel like to bid. You can only bid the dollar amount that is owed.

[51:28] And in that way, it starts that one year later, if they don't pay it off, then the town

[51:39] always, the piece of property, takes possession of it, and the town can put it up for sale

[51:47] or keep it.

[51:50] So,

[51:52] I would think that the four properties, if there are four by the end of the by that Thursday.

[51:59] Okay, I think it's Thursday right now.

[52:01] Who's Thursday, today?

[52:04] After four, it looks like there are all condos in the house,

[52:14] okay?

[52:17] I would like to ask this three of you, which one would like to sit there at what time in the morning?

[52:24] 10 o'clock, 10 o'clock in the morning, sure, Thursday.

[52:27] Unfortunately, I have cardiologists' equipment.

[52:34] I'm going to make a motion. I'm going to make a motion.

[52:36] Is this a motion?

[52:39] This is at the town officer's office.

[52:43] My motion is from city of Plansy.

[52:44] You're going to get a second.

[52:45] Second.

[52:46] You're not going to have any discussions on favor say aye.

[52:50] Thank you, sir.

[52:51] Thank you.

[52:52] Thank you.

[52:52] Can Jim Barlow give you a run down how it goes.

[52:55] Okay.

[52:57] We have a meeting at three o'clock on Wednesday, Mona and I and we Kim would like to add you if you could make this, it's not mandatory, but it might just give you a little bit more background

[53:08] Jim will be here in person, usually he is, so if you get here like 10 minutes before, you'll be here in 9.30

[53:16] He'll give you directions within 3 minutes, okay?

[53:20] free country.

[53:22] It will be fun.

[53:24] Fireworks permit October, I mean September 26th at the Summit Lodge, this is from

[53:31] Paul Styles who holds a fireworks license and it is from my dear friend on September 26th

[53:40] south, from over to us past the way we are having that day our Maggie is holding a celebration

[53:49] in a life from two o'clock to six o'clock and the fireworks will be going off not at the night time.

[53:56] It will be going off around five o'clock. I would think five to thirty. But we do not have a fire chief.

[54:02] So it falls back to the select board and just saying that there will be fireworks show.

[54:08] It's at the tennis courts of the summit lodge. They've done them there before and can I get a motion

[54:14] to improve a firework for a net for wall styles for September 26th at the summit lodge, for

[54:21] a size of so-called celebration, all seconded. Any questions? Just the formality. It's all

[54:30] it is. He's got his insurance. They got, I think it's just classy anyway. It's not the higher

[54:36] higher end. Have we run this by Steve? Find your out of curiosity?

[54:43] We wouldn't have

[54:44] the runner by Steve. Okay, because I thought he was helping us. He's an administrator. He's not if it says the fire chief or it says okay. Well, I'm just wondering if he had run it by. Yeah.

[54:56] I think Paul, if anybody was Paul, there's no fire chief. Okay. So then it came to the watch. Yeah. So any questions? Yeah.

[55:05] All in favor say aye.

[55:06] A point subcommittee for very done forensic audit work, and what day is that tomorrow?

[55:15] Tomorrow, tomorrow, 1.30.

[55:18] So John and I are really busy with Vepsie, and you know it's not here, I know you folks

[55:25] It's a busy with VCA, but in three units, and units, and units,

[55:37] with YouTube like to show

[55:38] up tomorrow?

[55:39] Yeah, we're complaining.

[55:40] Yeah, we're complaining.

[55:41] We're not going to do it as the board, because we're not going to be in emergency media or

[55:46] a board meeting.

[55:46] It's just two board members sitting in.

[55:48] I make a motion that Bill Vines, Silia Clancy, a 10, the Perry done, become the subcommittee,

[55:56] for very done forensic audit work.

[55:58] That's all moved.

[56:01] Any questions?

[56:02] None here.

[56:03] All in various, say aye.

[56:07] Just crank and right through it.

[56:08] That's right.

[56:08] We just used to be a little bit of stuff.

[56:11] But it's like saying, I'm going to get out of work.

[56:12] We said that once.

[56:13] Yeah, right.

[56:14] Yeah, yeah.

[56:14] That was before.

[56:15] Yeah, we got stuck.

[56:16] We got stuck.

[56:17] It's true.

[56:17] Tax anticipation, no discussion.

[56:21] You want to take it from here?

[56:22] And I'll fill in or whatever.

[56:24] I thought you wanted the discussion.

[56:28] So we basically...

[56:28] Yeah, so we basically, as Rob had said,

[56:31] we got a 3.4 million dollar tax anticipation note.

[56:38] Getting back building to having proper paperwork.

[56:48] Rob and I talked about this,

[56:50] and the 3.4 million dollars is not just thrown into our bank account.

[56:55] it is a drawer. So when we get a warrant, I think the first warrant was like $261,000.

[57:06] We asked a treasure to print off a drawer document and attach it to the warrant.

[57:20] If anybody comes around and says, where do you get the money from, when you weren't collecting

[57:28] municipal taxes,

[57:32] we could say, here, but what was the response you got back from?

[57:38] Well, initially, it was that the banks that they don't need it, so therefore it was implied

[57:45] forget it, we don't need to do it. But when we explain to the treasure of that, it's really

[57:52] for us, for the bank, so that in the event someone comes back, and we certainly know Vepsy

[57:59] has, and now it's a different entity, but we certainly learned that questions can arise.

[58:05] So now, will. Well, all right. Well, all right. We're going to do it. In fact,

[58:13] I want to come to one of the two or three that we're done involving Kassala, today,

[58:20] late afternoon, and she said she is attaching it.

[58:24] So we're following a new procedure that we...

[58:26] Yeah, I think that's a good practice.

[58:28] I mean, the tan is not quote-unquote a reserve fund, but like the state said, you could do

[58:33] short-term borrowing out of your reserve funds as long as you documented, okay, and I think

[58:38] it's just a good practice to document this stuff.

[58:41] So we know where the funds came from.

[58:43] So two years from now, another select board

[58:45] isn't faced with where the money comes from.

[58:47] That's right.

[58:49] So I was not aware that you had that further conversation.

[58:53] The last I heard was the bank didn't want it.

[58:57] Right, but that's when I get the note out

[58:59] and said that's what we're going to do.

[59:01] So that is going to get done.

[59:03] It's credit.

[59:04] We just brought it up as a conversation.

[59:06] It's we can't tell a treasure or an elected official

[59:10] What to do? But it's critical that we have a paper trail any time we're moving money so that

[59:18] we can go back and do the obvious account for it where it came from, where it's going, why

[59:25] it's going and to know that it's an approved action and that it is following the, you know,

[59:32] proper channels and processes.

[59:33] As Rob had said, the Cousella bill, there was two Cousella bills for a total of $5,000 in $5,000.

[59:42] When Chasta comes in tomorrow, those funds are going to have to be drawn down from there.

[59:50] And we need a copy of it to show that we did not use some other, we drew it from the back.

[1:00:00] Marty comes back in, then we can pay back. So it's just a discussion and I think that discussion

[1:00:07] is, is over. So VLCT, which is Vermont League, to cities and towns, slash passive insurance

[1:00:15] invoice or invoice is. Do you want to take it from now? Yeah, sure. So on Thursday afternoon,

[1:00:25] We've got to note that this lady sent us, she's the accountant, and says we have not been paid for Q2.

[1:00:36] And in her note, it goes on to show that I guess it was April 17.

[1:00:41] And then I think again there was another attempt to get it paid on May 27.

[1:00:48] I believe we're 20 second and I talked with Mona and we found out that this one hasn't been

[1:00:56] paid but we paid two, three, right?

[1:00:59] So try to just understand from this whole lady her name is Amanda Moran Moshensky,

[1:01:09] even though we get heart copies, don't we get heart copies?

[1:01:11] is it just emailed because it came in to me as in from town manager actually it's a town manager

[1:01:19] but apparently it had been sent in the previous couple of times.

[1:01:24] Yeah, the date is made to 27.

[1:01:26] There it is.

[1:01:27] It was sent with do-are-porous.

[1:01:30] Yeah, it was do-are-porous.

[1:01:31] Yeah, it was do-are-porous.

[1:01:32] Yeah, so we did for whatever reason.

[1:01:35] I guess we didn't know.

[1:01:36] So on 416, the letter was sent a dress to Talmanager Cushing, and then again on 527 sent again to Talmanager Cushing, so on 527, and then 7-1 as well.

[1:01:55] So

[1:01:57] let's just leave it $23,000, but it's the exposure, it's the exposure, right?

[1:02:06] It's the money is one thing, it's the exposure.

[1:02:12] The negligence of not paying this type of an invoice puts the town in a great deal of exposure.

[1:02:20] And I think it's important that people understand that this is a huge problem.

[1:02:25] We're going to clean again.

[1:02:26] Another one we're cleaning up, but at the end of the day, I think we all understand if we don't

[1:02:31] have car insurance and we get in the car accident, what happens?

[1:02:34] We end up working the rest of our life for somebody else, right?

[1:02:36] Absolutely.

[1:02:38] This is not much different folks.

[1:02:40] It's just 23 or 47.

[1:02:42] 23,000 for that, it's a per quarter.

[1:02:45] Okay?

[1:02:45] All right.

[1:02:46] But just think if you didn't,

[1:02:49] would you not re-up your insurance on your house?

[1:02:51] Would you not re-up your insurance on your automobiles?

[1:02:54] And then go drive your car around town.

[1:02:56] You would not.

[1:02:57] It's absolutely intolerable by it.

[1:03:01] This is also for our employees.

[1:03:02] Guys, they trip in fall, water driver, fireman, a police officer, so we're going to pay this.

[1:03:11] We're going to pay this tomorrow, tomorrow.

[1:03:14] Good.

[1:03:17] So, it's actually, we got an invoice here that says 47 of this, actually.

[1:03:22] Half of that because we've already played one quarter of this.

[1:03:24] I want to do on April 1st, one would do on July 1st.

[1:03:27] I believe Rob just said three years ago, three years ago, okay, okay, okay, so it's only 23,000 and change obviously

[1:03:35] Yeah, okay

[1:03:38] Well, we're done with that discussion, okay, start discussion on upcoming municipal tax budget process. Go ahead, Bill. What would you like to see?

[1:03:48] Excuse me

[1:03:50] We're just having a quick discussion. It is a timer and

[1:03:54] And we know what we've gone through for budget discussions.

[1:04:00] So I think we should spot something at least getting in October.

[1:04:08] October 26th or maybe even the first meeting October.

[1:04:12] Well, when do we want to try to aim at getting tax bills out?

[1:04:18] No, this is the budget for next year.

[1:04:22] Oh, I got confused, excuse me.

[1:04:24] No, this is the buggy, excuse me in my confusion.

[1:04:27] OK, the budget for next year, in your day,

[1:04:29] you're moving me in my day.

[1:04:30] It seems like that's the only thing that I've had on my

[1:04:33] slide-point agenda is for like a year now.

[1:04:38] OK, well, I guess,

[1:04:45] what do we want to include in the budget

[1:04:48] beforehand?

[1:04:48] Do we include in the Tom budget and are we going

[1:04:51] to provide a separate preliminary budget for

[1:04:57] Tiff or killings and forward or whatever you want to call it, okay?

[1:05:00] Because I do think we need to start providing that information as well.

[1:05:06] Well, this is for the Municipal's budget.

[1:05:08] No, I understand. I understand.

[1:05:11] I think we start with what happened this past fiscal year so that we can get a better sense of

[1:05:19] our strengths and our weaknesses in our previous budget so that we can start to maybe plot a better

[1:05:26] course towards a successful budget for the upcoming. Yes, yes. Yeah, and we have to make some assumptions about

[1:05:33] as we're hiring staff, okay? Because there's a lot of holes that we know we need to fill, okay, and in the conversations that we've had about the problems.

[1:05:41] So, who's the fire department?

[1:05:43] Yeah, it's an example.

[1:05:44] That's an example.

[1:05:45] It's an example.

[1:05:47] They're building a public side.

[1:05:53] But we're being accused right now as a board of cutting the...

[1:06:03] What is that called?

[1:06:04] The Perdean.

[1:06:05] Perdean.

[1:06:06] Perdean.

[1:06:06] So, the volunteer fireman.

[1:06:10] I guess it was at 25,000 hours.

[1:06:13] And this is if one of the five firemen called and sick, somebody comes in as a volunteer, as a forgive.

[1:06:25] So we had no idea it was going through $25 to $21 an hour.

[1:06:30] No, it was not free.

[1:06:30] It was no idea.

[1:06:32] It was not printers.

[1:06:33] It was not what?

[1:06:34] Brought to the mattress.

[1:06:36] The budget shows.

[1:06:38] We know when it happened.

[1:06:39] Well, it was in the budget.

[1:06:40] It was in the original budget process.

[1:06:44] There was some things moved around as far as full time and per day.

[1:06:49] And then there's stipends and everything else in there.

[1:06:53] And we were explained to us that there was some changes going on

[1:06:59] or whatever, but it seemed like they didn't need as much money in the per day.

[1:07:05] So I think it went from 60 to 45 or 60.

[1:07:09] You know, I think it was 57, but I think we can look it up.

[1:07:11] It's in the budget.

[1:07:12] Yeah, that would go up like 57 to 40, but the breed is right here.

[1:07:17] I would suggest though that going in this budget, okay, particularly where we're still in

[1:07:22] union negotiations with three unions for DIA.

[1:07:25] No, I know, but particularly where we're union negotiations with three unions, that

[1:07:30] We probably take, we cannot have any discussions on salaries, or anything like that, or benefits.

[1:07:40] Okay, for one thing, we're still working those issues with the unions.

[1:07:45] And even when we do have those issues work with the unions, because those are personnel matters.

[1:07:49] We have to take them outside of the public forum and have them in executive session.

[1:07:54] Okay, because we're going to have to get any salary agreements with the unions going forward.

[1:07:58] Right. But I do think we should start asking the department managers to put together

[1:08:04] provisional budgets, okay, on all of their other expenses, and they can certainly bring them

[1:08:10] to the board in an orderly fashion, you know, probably, you know, as you say, in mid-October

[1:08:17] or late October. But I think the first, the first thing would Rob should probably go to the

[1:08:22] department managers and say, hey, budget season is starting, maybe work together,

[1:08:27] calendar with them, okay, in terms of when they can get input, okay, and then we can start discussing them.

[1:08:33] Yeah, leaving the salary issues off to the side while we work the union negotiations.

[1:08:36] Other than that per deum, right, and for the fire per deum, and the stipends because I think they also cut the stipend rate.

[1:08:47] According to the email that I'm looking at, the stipend rate was decreased to $30,000, I don't know what it was, but it was decreased to $30,000.

[1:08:59] It is my understanding that the talent manager met with the fire chief.

[1:09:04] Can I think of this to all of you, right?

[1:09:07] I can actually just play with the wall.

[1:09:09] And they were negotiating.

[1:09:10] That decided that the budget should be.

[1:09:12] Right.

[1:09:12] That's why we never talked about twenty-one or twenty-five and we never talked about that.

[1:09:17] So, but it's a straight trend.

[1:09:19] I don't think we ever talked about that.

[1:09:20] It's a straight translation from what the budget was that took it down by twenty percent from twenty-five to twenty.

[1:09:29] Yeah, but I don't.

[1:09:32] But you wouldn't know that.

[1:09:34] You wouldn't know if they were anticipating fewer.

[1:09:37] So it's definitely going to need to use it. You wouldn't even know. The budget is set for now

[1:09:43] I mean, and I guess that's a question we can throw up on the next meeting of how to deal with the difference between where the fire department is saying

[1:09:53] From per day. I'm was at 25 dollars an hour, but it got lower to 21 dollars an hour 20 20. Okay, maybe we should be

[1:10:02] be looking into that budget and seeing if they can go back to 25 for opening up.

[1:10:10] One of the things, one of the things we were having problems with, particularly with the

[1:10:15] fire department and the police department, was trying to develop some performance-based

[1:10:19] metrics.

[1:10:20] So, for instance, how many per day incidents would we have to schedule on average?

[1:10:26] Okay, and we really didn't have a lot of performance-based information we had, a number of

[1:10:32] X, Y, Z dollars, but, you know, in terms of trying to encourage use of our own in how

[1:10:41] staff, okay, that's where the discussions came with the Department of Managers, can we reduce

[1:10:46] this number, should we increase that other number? But without metrics, okay, it's very, that's

[1:10:51] a well-deskest, and that's where we were. And I would just think that if I was on the fire department,

[1:10:59] And I was perdium and I'm coming in, you know, let's put it on the agenda next week

[1:11:09] for discussion of the perdium and of the stipends, okay.

[1:11:16] And for that meeting Rob, if you can tell us where we're at, of how much we've spent

[1:11:21] today on perdium and how much we have spent for stipends.

[1:11:27] And let's make sure that everybody's numbers, our work time is in.

[1:11:35] Sometimes the stipends, they put them all out at June 30th,

[1:11:41] June 29th to be paid out for the whole year.

[1:11:44] Yeah, there was a big one in the last batch of warrants there.

[1:11:47] Yeah, there was a big run.

[1:11:49] We can't have the, we will not have any clue.

[1:11:54] if it's not put in on a monthly or a quarterly basis.

[1:11:59] Was there any other department that got affected like that?

[1:12:03] Other department?

[1:12:04] That is not.

[1:12:05] I would think it's just that.

[1:12:07] I think it's just that.

[1:12:08] It's just that.

[1:12:09] But I mean, you know, there wasn't time.

[1:12:12] I think volunteers were getting paid $10 or $15 to show up at a call

[1:12:19] at 1 o'clock in the morning.

[1:12:21] That could either go to 130 or it could go to town a clock.

[1:12:26] There we get kind of 15 bucks.

[1:12:30] Then I'd car on myself raised after a certain time.

[1:12:35] More than 11.59 pm to 6.30 or something like that.

[1:12:42] It was $50.

[1:12:44] That's what we raised it to.

[1:12:46] And then anything else was $30 during the day to come in.

[1:12:49] I think that has been changed also, so we can just get this on the agenda.

[1:12:56] There are similar issues like part-time hiring to cover police shifts and stuff like that.

[1:13:03] And what we found last year is that no one could tell us how many shifts or how many hours or how many columns were going to occur.

[1:13:11] Okay, so it became just a budgetary.

[1:13:14] Yes.

[1:13:15] And we need the data.

[1:13:16] And you need the data.

[1:13:18] You know, you tell us that it's getting cut from 40 to 30, but it could be that we don't

[1:13:24] need as many.

[1:13:26] Well, it turned out that, or we could need more, but it turned out to be, it turned out to be

[1:13:40] a rape got changed.

[1:13:44] So Chief Montgomery, I do see you, I just muted you, we'll call on you in a second, okay?

[1:13:55] So that's the fire department, still you since you asked the question, we have Chief Montgomery for the police.

[1:14:03] Go ahead, where I muted you again, but you cannot mute.

[1:14:08] Sure, I got this made in the problem.

[1:14:11] Would you question the police in not having proper data or something?

[1:14:15] I just say in general, okay, we need statistics, okay, to try to figure out, okay, how many calls we're going to have, okay, how many part-time hours we maybe need to assess, okay, how many callouts are active, okay, and it's just difficult to do that, okay, without data, you know, for example, how many times do we have to send police officers down for court cases, okay,

[1:14:45] You know, associated with the various police activities in town.

[1:14:50] Yeah, we know that we have to pay police officers to go to court,

[1:14:54] but we have to make an educated guess about how many times we're going to have to do that,

[1:14:59] because that impacts

[1:15:00] Staffing levels. And I'm going to jump in, so Chief Montgomery doesn't have the jump in on here. This is for the fire to point, for example.

[1:15:07] But that's an example, Chief Montgomery is the police department. They're full time employees. When they give it ticket out, there are hours of their 40 hours or their overtime hours is included in that.

[1:15:21] It's not the same as the problem. But it impacts their hours.

[1:15:25] And I think that's what you would have said when, if I'm wrong.

[1:15:28] Yeah, we probably do provide steps every year, annually,

[1:15:32] and additionally, as requested, but also,

[1:15:34] this is the reason, as far as the part-time mayor has gone

[1:15:37] as a different discussion, but that's nothing.

[1:15:38] The part-time, there's a reason why the part-time shifts

[1:15:41] were eliminated a number of years ago.

[1:15:44] But anyway, we discuss that a little later time.

[1:15:46] But I want to make sure I'm answering some of your some confusion

[1:15:49] there, I just want to make sure I address it, put it on here.

[1:15:51] I think we're confusing.

[1:15:54] at the board level, that the fire department is stipend and per DM, which does not fall into

[1:16:03] their full-time or part-time staff. You have something different.

[1:16:09] Yeah, and I know you try to work your data. It's an example of the same kind of problem.

[1:16:17] And, you know, we just, we all got to do better at providing, all of the department heads need you to do better at providing some facts to go to the select board so that we can understand how their budgets are put together and so we can make sure that they have the resources they need to do the job.

[1:16:32] I'm not sticking up for you Chief Montgomery, but between the police department and the library, the best assets budgets, and there is plenty of, so please don't add any more data.

[1:16:49] Don't take it up to that.

[1:16:50] If you give us all the data we need Chief Montgomery, thank you.

[1:16:56] Thank you, guys.

[1:17:00] So you need to set up a meeting for next so you can get that. I think the

[1:17:07] And bill brings up a great I a great point here about getting going just working with

[1:17:13] Say work with grow and

[1:17:16] And on and Roger because they are working with the union so we don't get

[1:17:21] In that

[1:17:23] Okay, what the budget's gonna look like and how we get into salaries and everything else

[1:17:28] So, I would think that you need to talk to the three people that are on the Union,

[1:17:35] could have said something, okay?

[1:17:38] So, FEMA projects, updates, including Richardson Road.

[1:17:44] So, Richardson Road out to bed, and there was one bed.

[1:17:52] And what we have learned,

[1:17:56] does I ask a lot of questions,

[1:17:59] is that there is a, what is that so W stand for again?

[1:18:05] Let's go over work.

[1:18:07] So just because somebody wins a bid, now has to go to FEMA,

[1:18:17] or Charlie at the state, the emergency flood.

[1:18:21] And then they send it on after they go through the bid,

[1:18:26] And they get it to FEMA, it can take two months, three months to get approval of a scope of work.

[1:18:38] When we have a scope of work approved by FEMA for a dollar amount based off of the bid,

[1:18:48] that's like you can go to the bank, you can get a loan, at least on this flood of 2023.

[1:18:56] Okay, you can get a loan and you can get the money in, so we're not using our general

[1:19:04] flat money as we have been using.

[1:19:08] And then from there, when you pay it back with interest,

[1:19:15] Joshua Richardson, Robinson with

[1:19:19] WSP will be tracking this and FEMA has said they will pay the interest also.

[1:19:29] So there is no need to be using general fund dollars because we want to be got to work

[1:19:38] a scope approved and without a scope of scope approved, you are not to do any work,

[1:19:49] you

[1:19:49] can then tell you, you started work prior to getting your work a scope approved and they

[1:19:58] don't have to pay you.

[1:20:04] So Richardson

[1:20:07] Road is being put in right now for a work of scope.

[1:20:12] Where is Richardson Road?

[1:20:14] Yes, it's Shadow Key, so you have to go into Bridgewater.

[1:20:18] There's a VTell building on your left hand side, you take that road up and you put beautiful

[1:20:24] ride but I wouldn't go like the last half of Richardson road. Okay. Okay.

[1:20:30] It's killing. It's killing ten. You go through Bridgewater. This is a really nice land there.

[1:20:36] Throughout that whole area. If you miss a long term coming back, you'll see a sign that

[1:20:44] says bonerch, shatty key. You have to turn back around and get on to the payroll down low

[1:20:50] you'll come out by veto. I had to go up for the three bit or whatever. So that's the way

[1:20:58] it's supposed to work. Now when I say it's supposed to work,

[1:21:04] we've done some work

[1:21:08] in the

[1:21:09] last couple of months, started prior to July that we did not get a scope of work change

[1:21:22] for 12 you and great trail 741-471 it was supposed to be bid it out also with rim

[1:21:34] road which all the paper was getting pulled together right now from rim road and the

[1:21:41] project has to be completed it should have been completed by July 14th of 2026 and

[1:21:48] We're asking for an extension which we'll get to July 14th of 2027, then there's trail side drive

[1:22:00] that was part of a bid and the work is completed but there is no scope of work for it, along with ledge end at 740900.

[1:22:14] So we're also putting in for legend to be done.

[1:22:22] Now we're told by the state to get the...

[1:22:30] The bid out for rim road, so we can include it, hopefully with 741471, trail view drive, which we are completed

[1:22:45] already for 349,889 dollars and great trail for 264,962 dollars. And then when we get the rim road

[1:22:58] be it out and the scope of work change. Hopefully we'll get paid. It's not a guarantee.

[1:23:05] So this is the 800,000. This is 865,000 dollars that we're probably not going to get paid on.

[1:23:12] So there. Well. What? You don't think we will.

[1:23:14] The town did not do its job. I know that. That's the concern. So I think the point is

[1:23:21] making the public aware that we have a huge exposure of 800 plus thousand dollars because

[1:23:26] Again, we didn't. We didn't want it to blow up. We didn't want it to blow up. We didn't want it. We didn't follow through.

[1:23:32] Okay, so 7409.0 is trail side drive with leg end and trail side drive is completed for $250,000, $665.

[1:23:44] So when I add up those three, it's a total of like $864,000.

[1:23:48] of ours. We're told to get the scope, to get the bids put out. We need some easements.

[1:23:58] We were told that somebody was working on easements, but contacting some of the neighbors,

[1:24:04] two of them I've spoke to don't know anything about it, so we didn't know anything about it.

[1:24:10] So we need to get that going. We're going to have a meeting rob with energy. I think we

[1:24:16] later this week to go over this. And all of it being told this is that once we have that

[1:24:22] bit, those two bits we put together with the package, get the scope of work done, we'll

[1:24:27] get approved and when the work is done, then we put all the paperwork in and when they look

[1:24:37] at it and see the invoices dated earlier than the scope of work, sometimes they pay, sometimes

[1:24:44] times they don't. And we've got to put it in layman's terms, please. You can. Okay. So to put it in layman's terms,

[1:24:55] we have an exposure of maybe around $800,000 because the town did not properly file paperwork

[1:25:03] in a timely fashion that when we submit it, FEMA will have the option to either pay for it or

[1:25:10] not, and if they choose not to, because we, the town, did not do its job, then we will

[1:25:16] end up probably bonding out $800,000 or finding $800,000 somewhere that we did not need

[1:25:24] to find or to bond up.

[1:25:27] So just to be on the public records, there is no questions down the road.

[1:25:32] We're going to solar panel conversations, so I don't want to have this in five or eight years

[1:25:37] someone say, well, what happened there, what happened was we didn't do our job as a town.

[1:25:43] And so we have a major exposure that hopefully, FEMA will find some grace for us over.

[1:25:50] But if they don't, all we can do is look in the mirror.

[1:25:55] So, and to give you 90% of these funds are paid for by these projects are paid by FEMA.

[1:26:03] And the 7.8% is from the state, so 97.8% could be totally paid on it.

[1:26:21] It's out there.

[1:26:22] I just don't want to get to the point where somebody says, well, why?

[1:26:26] We end up half the paying 865,000 loans.

[1:26:31] Why do we have to borrow 865,000 dollars?

[1:26:33] So, the person that really identified all this was Joshua Robinson.

[1:26:38] To be honest with you is me sitting in a robbery asking questions.

[1:26:44] Yes.

[1:26:44] Jim.

[1:26:45] You know, saying we got the dead.

[1:26:47] It was approved.

[1:26:49] We're in a scope of work.

[1:26:50] Where is the scope?

[1:26:51] Now is what's the next step.

[1:26:53] How do you about the plan of the scope of work?

[1:26:55] What do you mean we have the plan of the plan of the plan of the scope of work?

[1:26:58] And once that's approved, then you can start going with it.

[1:27:01] in the appropriate town office, had the scope of work, you know, so they had it, it just

[1:27:10] didn't file it. Okay, yep, so I'm going to move on, that's just there, so solar panels

[1:27:17] you asked me to put this on. I did, yes, canopy is actually right. So I'm going to say something

[1:27:24] I guess? Okay, go ahead. So, say your name.

[1:27:28] James, it's a great citizen. So, this is mostly just for information, clear up misinformation.

[1:27:37] Surrounded in New Solar Panels for the last, God knows how many years.

[1:27:41] So, I have a timeline to bring down.

[1:27:48] So,

[1:27:53] to start with, I got millions from

[1:27:57] So on November 2nd, 2021, there was a so-called can-be discussion.

[1:28:05] Members on the board at that time, the Queen's defense, the chair, the curtain's unknown.

[1:28:13] And there was General Crest on the board at that time.

[1:28:17] I'll go back to other street people, which was

[1:28:26] March 28th, October 26th.

[1:28:31] There was more discussion finding a thing for Solar Kingdom to use current expense money.

[1:28:38] One of your current expense loans, approved a current expense, and the support approved a talent manager to go ahead and get a current expense

[1:28:50] is not for the solid management,

[1:28:54] but in May 22,

[1:28:57] there's just other discussions in general,

[1:29:01] not in any of this, you know, we have such a mistake.

[1:29:05] In the tower report, but in 2022, March, there was just a time manager report in there,

[1:29:16] tell one of the blame and tell about the solar harvest.

[1:29:22] There was no money here to say anything about that.

[1:29:25] There's some invoices in October, 21, sometimes invoiced,

[1:29:32] or the down office, a total of 107,9755 cents.

[1:29:42] That and merge.

[1:29:46] That money was taken out of the fund of 146, which a green is a reserve fund.

[1:29:56] So that got taken out of there.

[1:29:58] Who was the fund number change?

[1:30:00] 1, 40, steps, dash, 7, dash, 40, dash, 7, 20, top, 3,

[1:30:07] 0. There was in March, there was a check.

[1:30:20] Or for 100,000, $9.00 and $9.00, the 50,000 for the ten-of-office sober can't be.

[1:30:35] The same date.

[1:30:41] So that's the only details.

[1:30:44] Then you can go on to the one that's a library, why there's a difference in price.

[1:30:49] I don't know. That can't be worse. 96,000, $299,000, $20,000.

[1:30:56] That money was taken on a phone 146, which is a reserved phone library.

[1:31:03] I believe.

[1:31:07] So that was the total of that.

[1:31:09] So, total, all we got was 24,000, 27,000, 27,000, and 27,000, and March, 22, and 24,000,

[1:31:19] March, 2020.

[1:31:22] There was a work sign for that money to be paid to some company, for 204,000,

[1:31:30] 27,000, 27,000,

[1:31:34] and 27,000.

[1:31:42] that

[1:31:44] the change that one forty-five and one forty-six they changed that to one

[1:31:53] e-sex which is just a just a different place for the money to come from.

[1:32:01] That's great to hear on the giveers to be able to instead of three-third of the

[1:32:09] five.

[1:32:09] The current expense note was taken out on the five twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty-twenty

[1:32:20] -twenty.

[1:32:20] So this is just for information, so I hope I put a lot of questions by a lot of people, what happened when?

[1:32:29] So the book, so we're going to work people out of reserve funds.

[1:32:34] Then we've got the journey's been snowing, and the money went back into the reserve fund.

[1:32:39] Okay, so I have the May 25th, 2022.

[1:32:44] I have May 25th, 2022 minutes, I don't number seven.

[1:32:50] Current expense, no for solar panels, town manager, Hagen Barth spoke on the current expense,

[1:32:56] no for the solar counties. Originally it was considered as an equipment purchase, which

[1:33:02] I guess they took from the reserve funds, but it is different from other highway-related

[1:33:09] equipment purchases. It will need to be decided by the voters. The town would like to take

[1:33:16] out a one-year current expense note of $2,4,271 at a rate of 2.5% until it can be put on the ballot.

[1:33:30] The select board discussed the financing and logistics of funding the solar cavities while

[1:33:35] waiting the tower's residents decision.

[1:33:39] So, let's board half, made a motion to approve the current expense note for the solar panels.

[1:33:47] There's unanimously approved.

[1:33:50] And then, just to keep the rep it's straight, I'm just going to go by the water,

[1:33:56] because I don't know anything about financing.

[1:34:00] So I'm going to go to page 45 of

[1:34:07] the June 30 of 2025 audit, the most recent audit, and

[1:34:14] note number 14 deficit fund balances.

[1:34:21] And as a tip district of 5,716,000, a FEMA fund of 1,455 high school equipment, I don't

[1:34:31] and $267.00.

[1:34:34] Vorac Grant, $1600.00.

[1:34:37] Zoning by-law, $6,375.00.

[1:34:41] Killing tin four with $942,000, $880.

[1:34:45] Now when I'm sure I'm going to be cleared up in 2020,

[1:34:48] six is because we got the $700,000

[1:34:51] or whatever from there.

[1:34:53] Bear amount in Annex Road.

[1:34:54] That was part of the FEMA that we did in investigation.

[1:34:58] Chris Carr, I see sort of come on here over the early years.

[1:35:01] But we approved getting some engineering dot barebout road and the next one's

[1:35:08] The equipment replacement 8,000, 651 dollars, and then it says solar canopy

[1:35:14] for 200,000, 21, and 72 dollars

[1:35:19] So the order this thing just goes on and on and on, but what

[1:35:23] the minute state is that

[1:35:26] It couldn't be funded the way that the manager at that point said it could be funded.

[1:35:33] The minute state that the board was told that needed to take a current expense note out,

[1:35:41] the board approved the current expense note.

[1:35:45] This was in 2022.

[1:35:47] Okay, it's still showing as a negative number of 2025 as a deficit and I don't number 14 on page 45.

[1:35:57] Okay, I don't go to the point.

[1:35:58] We have to go back that.

[1:36:02] It's staying in the May 20th, 20 second minutes that the voters would have to decide.

[1:36:09] All right, we just did decide August whatever of this year.

[1:36:16] I think what happens sometimes is definitions get kind of mixed up.

[1:36:24] So we approve the current expense note until it was put up to a vote to clear.

[1:36:32] So, if a town is an unexpected expense and takes out a current use note from the bank,

[1:36:39] do they still need to add it back into the next budget cycle?

[1:36:43] Yes, they absolutely must add it back into the next cycle.

[1:36:47] Because a municipal budget operates on the strict legal balance budget mandate,

[1:36:51] borrowing money by a short term note, does not erase the expense.

[1:36:56] It only delays when you have to pay for it.

[1:37:00] Now, I understand what Jay is coming from.

[1:37:03] He's done a lot of work looking into it.

[1:37:05] I did this little bit of work this morning looking into this.

[1:37:11] And sooner or later, because we have a forensic audit being done,

[1:37:16] it's going to say, if we needed to do it, all we didn't need to do.

[1:37:25] I would just like to put the solar panels to rest.

[1:37:30] With the orders on the forensic side to come back to us and to either say, you know what, you did it this time, right, or you actually paid for it the last time.

[1:37:49] So now you will have, hopefully, an excess at the end of the 2027 budget, but you know, I believe this has gone on with

[1:38:04] if people say we've had seven managers in the last seven years, well, this thing's thought of I think in 2021.

[1:38:12] So we're five years, so call it four or five of them.

[1:38:17] OK, we've been told as a board.

[1:38:23] And we were told this past year.

[1:38:25] John said, you were not, well, you were on the watch

[1:38:31] for the last for the vote for August.

[1:38:34] OK, that's what we went by.

[1:38:37] But I think you told me that J. gave you

[1:38:41] like a write down of his information that he has.

[1:38:44] Or I mean, I mean, so no, it's OK.

[1:38:47] I've always been here to have this time line.

[1:38:50] So it happened in the world of the world.

[1:38:52] At the end of this meeting, you can give that to me.

[1:38:56] You can give that to me.

[1:38:56] Do you take back tomorrow?

[1:38:58] Yes.

[1:38:58] We're going to copy because I think tomorrow they're meeting with the forensic orders.

[1:39:05] So my point here was, number one, I just wanted to give information.

[1:39:11] Everybody could stop saying we never paid for that.

[1:39:15] No, we did it.

[1:39:16] I don't know if we did.

[1:39:18] I'm trying to follow it and I actually don't think people said we didn't pay for it because I think everybody understands the vendor's been paid.

[1:39:26] Okay, the question became, how do we get the money to repay the current expense note if there was a current expense note taken?

[1:39:33] That's the problem.

[1:39:34] The biggest problem was, it never went on.

[1:39:37] It never was an article on it.

[1:39:39] Tell me, never got hold of it on.

[1:39:41] Right, that's the biggest problem.

[1:39:42] But if I were to happen, we wouldn't be having any of these numbers.

[1:39:48] Correct.

[1:39:49] Well, the other thing, too, is Jay, is that I really like 21.

[1:39:53] They are actually in stall in May of 2026.

[1:40:00] Chris and I were in the meeting, and we were told then that what was right in this minutes,

[1:40:10] OK, from the manager saying that he thought you could do it this way.

[1:40:15] So he didn't have to come to Oslo with that girl, OK,

[1:40:20] that he could take it out of a highway, whatever, OK?

[1:40:25] And then I'm going to be actually a Steve Finner and call me up one day

[1:40:29] and said, who's paying when somebody starts charging their cars

[1:40:34] on that solar panel.

[1:40:36] And I was like, what are you talking about?

[1:40:39] And then I drove down, and then that started the conversation.

[1:40:43] And Chris and I, we kind of grilled the then matter to say,

[1:40:50] and if we get the video back, the video will have Chris and I say,

[1:40:55] it has to go to a vote.

[1:40:59] And if the vote is the same, no, what are you going to do?

[1:41:06] We need to put it up for a vote.

[1:41:08] And then the different changes of marriages that never came around, and we get people in the audience asking about soul panels, and so that it's finally went up for a vote because I think Vino even pointed out in the RH Smith on page 45, it shows a negative balance, and it has to be taken care of, I think even the manager at the point said it's showing up as a negative number, it has to go.

[1:41:37] I think Bill, we might even have discussions and say, you know what, I'm tired of the solar

[1:41:42] power.

[1:41:43] We stayed never got put up because we only wanted to up on top of this roof and over

[1:41:48] at the highway department.

[1:41:50] We never wanted anything on a river road looking and turning around and everything like that.

[1:41:56] But it happened and we just said the auditor for renting is going to come in.

[1:42:02] This over here says, it's still a negative balance as of June 30th of 2025.

[1:42:10] So, so, you know, hopefully, so I did this simply because I didn't want to say that

[1:42:17] motors have, we took out a little bit of them and we paid over $4,000 in interest.

[1:42:23] I didn't want to see the types of their types, they have another one, and pay another $4,000

[1:42:28] in interest.

[1:42:30] But I'm going to get to you that that loan.

[1:42:34] What type of loan was that?

[1:42:36] Current expense.

[1:42:37] A current expense note does not clear the debt.

[1:42:41] The debt.

[1:42:41] I understand what you're saying technically.

[1:42:46] Well, the current expense note.

[1:42:48] What I'm saying is we have a loan and we pay for that loan.

[1:42:55] And we pay interest on that loan.

[1:42:57] And what I'm trying to do, it's the proper thing to do and I don't want to get into an argument with you.

[1:43:07] A current expense note means that you had something that showed up that was not expected was not in the budget.

[1:43:17] So you borrowed for it until you can get to another vote to approve it to get it into your budget.

[1:43:24] The current expense note covers expenses that were not budgeted for.

[1:43:30] Sooner or later, we had to correct that.

[1:43:34] The big question is,

[1:43:38] if it was able to be taken out of the reserve funds or the restricted

[1:43:45] funds for that purpose, then it never even needed a current expense note.

[1:43:51] But the order is said, and the minutes say on May 25th it couldn't happen that way, because the intent of those restricted funds was to maintain equipment we already had, not something new.

[1:44:08] So that's what shows in the minutes of May 25th of 2022.

[1:44:13] And since that came up we had to borrow a current expense and as I've read it off, the definition of a current expense note, just because you pay it doesn't mean that you budget it for it.

[1:44:27] And I think a big thing here Jim, by the way, I agree with you.

[1:44:32] But the big thing here is when the current expense note was paid.

[1:44:37] It was paid from somewhere, so was it paid from surplus taxes that had previously been collected because the budget collected more money and the taxes were collected than the budget spent or did it go into deficit financing for a follow-on budget and the account is basically saying

[1:45:00] You've got a 200,000 dollar bill that you have to pay, so I mean we can't figure out, obviously, we don't know how that current expense note was really repayed based upon the information that's been provided to us.

[1:45:15] Must we get paid $150 an hour as an order?

[1:45:19] Well, obviously the accountant couldn't find how it got repaid because he's still calling it up.

[1:45:24] I think I think the bigger pod here is that the current expense though got paid because it got paid out and it was only one hand out.

[1:45:35] But let's say that was really how it happened then it still had to get voted on to get in the budget.

[1:45:46] But if the order is said that you could take it out of the reserve funds, then we should

[1:45:52] never borrow the money.

[1:45:55] But it's clear that the minute it's said that it was told that it couldn't happen because

[1:46:02] it says,

[1:46:07] to how magis spoke on the current expense note, originally it was considered

[1:46:11] as an equipment purchase, which would it came out of the restrictive funds.

[1:46:15] But it is different from other highway related equipment projects.

[1:46:20] This is menets from 2022.

[1:46:23] But once again to state statute says you can

[1:46:26] You can't do barring from your strictive funds,

[1:46:30] but you have to properly document it.

[1:46:31] Like the town is writing itself along.

[1:46:34] Okay, and if we had a process that did that

[1:46:37] at the original time, if the town managers were taking in

[1:46:41] out of restricted funds, we'd have the paperwork documenting

[1:46:44] that's exactly what they did. But this is 2020. It's a long time ago. Okay. And if I'm fair

[1:46:53] here, which I am,

[1:47:02] if the, and this is what you just said, Bill, if the unexpected expense,

[1:47:08] which would drive the current expense, cause the previous fiscal year to end in a deficit,

[1:47:14] Meaning, total actual spending exceeded actual revenues.

[1:47:19] Statementist will laws generally require that this deficit be carried forward and funded

[1:47:24] as a mandatory expenditure in the very next budget cycle to bring the books back into

[1:47:29] balance.

[1:47:30] So I don't know if those books at that time showed a negative or a positive, but for some

[1:47:36] reason, the order still shows it in 2025 is a negative.

[1:47:40] So, we're going to have to wait, can you please get a copy, so we can hand that right over to the water group.

[1:47:48] You know, the forensic water, you're not the order,

[1:47:53] but I don't know, because this is 2022.

[1:47:57] I think I'm going to go back to my 2024-25-2324.

[1:48:00] But maybe, but it's showing up in the 2025.

[1:48:04] Okay.

[1:48:05] So they can look at it.

[1:48:06] that was paid back in 23. So, yeah. So, so the current expense not was paid back yet,

[1:48:13] I'm sorry. And that's what has mean that more to me. And that's the definition

[1:48:18] when you went into that. So, just get a copy of that. Yeah. So, just get a copy of that.

[1:48:23] All right. So, one more rule here was, somewhere you do get information from it. So, everybody

[1:48:32] So we don't get a choice.

[1:48:34] And not double.

[1:48:35] I don't know.

[1:48:36] I don't think I don't know what we did now.

[1:48:39] So I mean, you know, it's important to our order.

[1:48:43] You don't take it.

[1:48:44] So can we, it's not the first?

[1:48:46] So can we, can we wait to,

[1:48:50] we wait to take that,

[1:48:52] go out

[1:48:54] until

[1:48:56] the order is clear this up

[1:49:01] We'll ask the orders.

[1:49:03] Well, we'll ask the orders.

[1:49:04] You want to ask the orders?

[1:49:06] I do know what you're saying.

[1:49:07] Yeah, I mean.

[1:49:09] As far as all our records go, we had a vote and the vote says to borrow them.

[1:49:14] Of course they said then can we not even...

[1:49:16] When we're saying the tax rate shortly, so the forensic order is not going to be done in 2026.

[1:49:23] So I'd be in till 2026.

[1:49:25] And the only way is to switch out the article and delete it.

[1:49:29] Yeah, well, we have to rely on our order to record and the forensic voice not going to be around.

[1:49:34] So, I mean, we'll get back to you, Jake.

[1:49:37] I'm not, I think we have to borrow it.

[1:49:39] Yeah, we just, I think we have to borrow it.

[1:49:42] My point was to just go into another, yeah, if I were six out of those interested,

[1:49:46] the town doesn't need to be here.

[1:49:48] Yeah, but we'll, we'll, we'll check into it.

[1:49:51] So, um, there is one more item on a, where is the agenda rock right here?

[1:50:00] It's like a reward for it.

[1:50:03] So, um, we have the FEMA project.

[1:50:05] We need to speak, we have the KPA, KPA year.

[1:50:10] Sorry, false.

[1:50:11] Oh, look at that.

[1:50:12] You have two copies, I think, you said, oh man.

[1:50:14] Oh, no, I did grab more.

[1:50:16] So there is a bus, MTI bus grant that a man there is eating for the KPA, for the night.

[1:50:29] God, you bus, that's nice.

[1:50:31] Thank you.

[1:50:32] Thank you.

[1:50:33] Thank you.

[1:50:34] Thank you.

[1:50:35] Thank you.

[1:50:36] Yeah.

[1:50:38] So.

[1:50:42] A little cover from November.

[1:50:47] 26, the large, the end of every six to March 28.

[1:50:53] So it'll be the entire winter season.

[1:50:55] Currently there is no night service.

[1:50:58] So we're looking to restore that.

[1:51:00] This is something that Killington had.

[1:51:02] What maybe two years ago before the recent cut.

[1:51:05] We've had it every winter.

[1:51:07] We didn't have it this summer.

[1:51:10] Okay.

[1:51:10] But we had to work pretty hard to fund last winter.

[1:51:13] That came out of, that's what we, we raised some money we got money from the town, but it's a huge need for the community to be able to have this service and bring people to our town and have service for our employees.

[1:51:29] And anyway, I'm going to put a lot of work in to apply to this mobility and transportation

[1:51:37] innovation grant through the amount of agency of transportation, and we do need a local

[1:51:43] match.

[1:51:43] But she's done the research, so I'll let her sure I'm at it.

[1:51:46] So in short, this is about $57,924,000 dollars.

[1:51:54] So instead of, I believe one of your quotes for the same service was upward of like 89,000, I ended up getting a similar quote, I think I cut out like one or two routes based on meat after talking to businesses in the area.

[1:52:12] So similar, it would go all the way through 10 p.m. so those of our restaurants who are working the currently with our restaurants would be able to get a ride home back to Rutland after closing.

[1:52:30] 15% or so match that is required. And it's my understanding that you guys as the select board have allocated about $33,000 for the bus. I know there was a couple outstanding invoices that need it to be paid ahead of anything else.

[1:52:51] But if my math is right, even if you assisted with the match, there would still be a couple thousand left over.

[1:53:02] I'm going to jump in here.

[1:53:04] Okay, so the appropriations is $1,200 a year from the bus for the daytime.

[1:53:13] I only know this because I sit on the marble valley plus only me once the second Tuesday of every month.

[1:53:23] Chris Carr and I have worked on this bus nighttime summer and went to time, probably for about five years now.

[1:53:32] But yes, this was the first summer in about five years. We didn't have a nighttime bus.

[1:53:38] Last year for the winter, it was like $76,000.

[1:53:43] we've now you're saying 72, which it kind of a couple of years or whatever, okay. So last year was

[1:53:48] $76,000. The town kicked in $65,000. The resort kicked in $75,000. And then there's a list of people

[1:54:00] from the local businesses, you know, 400 here, 500 there that made up the difference.

[1:54:10] So it's the

[1:54:14] Now, we're going to come back to the board approved a $1,200 appropriation, but in-house

[1:54:24] when we added in some 31,000 or whatever, okay, to get the 33,000, 31,800 or whatever

[1:54:33] from there,

[1:54:36] they put it into appropriations.

[1:54:39] So Jade, and I think you have paperwork in here also from her with the invoices in that

[1:54:44] week.

[1:54:45] So she's coming in and saying that this came to me the other day for the summer service for a total of 16,000, six hundred.

[1:55:12] And technically, they believe we owe them $32,000 for appropriations, but we're not putting

[1:55:19] anyone in for the nighttime bus anymore, and it shouldn't have been accounted that way.

[1:55:26] So she goes on to say, but I explained that they chose to withhold his funds, which we

[1:55:31] have also not been paid $32,000.

[1:55:34] You and I discussed that the town was not going to be responsible for the gap and the funds

[1:55:39] from that agreement.

[1:55:39] When I say UNI, it's May and J. We're trying to get this bus over to KPA, and then we can try to help from there.

[1:55:51] FY 27, which the budget is passed now, $33,000 is appropriate.

[1:55:57] $33,000 is they will build the town $33,000.

[1:56:03] They may choose to use the funds to support winter service, but first we'll see if the

[1:56:09] KPA and the NTI grant can cover the magic spends.

[1:56:14] I don't know how the NTI grant would cover the magic spends, because the NTI is the grant itself.

[1:56:20] If so, we will put the funds to the RKC service that serves the towndale.

[1:56:27] Jay has agreed to use the $16,600 from the $33,000 that's just the proof of the appropriations

[1:56:36] to cover the FY26 mispayments.

[1:56:41] Moving forward after this, the expectation will be to receive the appropriations separate from

[1:56:46] all other services and we'll be using the same.

[1:56:49] So, I hope the boss listens to this video because once again, it's $1,200 that has been approved for appropriations.

[1:57:05] The $33,000 included the balance to go to nighttime service in the town of Killington.

[1:57:13] Okay, so the right now they're saying 33,000 dollars. We owe them some

[1:57:19] Call it 17,000 dollars

[1:57:22] Okay, so there's 16,000

[1:57:27] Left there and they're just saying that if MTI can't pay

[1:57:33] Oh, the match then it wouldn't be a match. It would be a full grant right and hand it MTI was going to give us everything

[1:57:41] Yeah, it doesn't work that way. So someone has to match. Someone has to match.

[1:57:47] And overall we're looking for a more diversified funding model moving forward.

[1:57:51] This is a stepping stone. This is a let's get on ourselves through winter.

[1:57:57] And then reconvene with more partners looking at summer service and the following winter service.

[1:58:03] So let's you and I sit with Jade this week or next week and have a very frank conversation

[1:58:14] with them that it's $1,200 for appropriations.

[1:58:22] They wanted to go to $2,200 this past year they didn't because that would be the fair amount

[1:58:30] for the town.

[1:58:31] So, let's just sit maybe back if you come into and just sit there and say, listen, we need

[1:58:40] the $15,000 from this 33 to go to this nighttime bus for the winter, and this is what

[1:58:50] people will hate me, but if you don't want to do that, then the following year we're

[1:58:57] growing on a approved $10,000 to the bus for appropriations, not the $33,000.

[1:59:07] Okay, Lisa Davis, Lewis is sitting, I can see most of these in the middle one in the square.

[1:59:14] I think, no matter if the outcome doesn't come, we should have a talk with the planning

[1:59:20] commission, because there is $200,000 in special projects.

[1:59:27] So I think that would be a good use if we can't get this worked out.

[1:59:32] So a couple of things.

[1:59:34] Yeah, this was a given grant is due to gaps all this Monday.

[1:59:40] So I have a time.

[1:59:42] I hope there's something we can just get from the select board.

[1:59:47] And we believe in my goal.

[1:59:50] Well, I'm going to make a motion that we approve the $15,000 for the match.

[1:59:55] somehow with the friend conversation with

[2:00:00] And we're the government, there's definitely a lot more. So I'm how it comes from the town this evening.

[2:00:08] Yeah, it's either going to be from there or it's going to be from the Planning Commission.

[2:00:13] That's it.

[2:00:15] All right, because there's some $200,000 in the Planning Special Funds.

[2:00:21] And as part of the motion, I think you could just also, you know, endorse the application

[2:00:31] So I'm at a first make of motion at the town, through either model values, 3,000, 3,000 appropriations were paying them,

[2:00:45] work through the planning commission, special projects, finally, be the $15,000 that we

[2:00:55] commit to.

[2:00:56] Imagine that.

[2:00:58] And I get a second.

[2:01:00] Is there any conversation?

[2:01:02] This is something we need.

[2:01:04] So all in favor of that motion say aye.

[2:01:07] Aye.

[2:01:08] Okay.

[2:01:10] Can I get a motion to endorse this graph right?

[2:01:15] who hold it from talent and killing them so like what?

[2:01:19] Check it.

[2:01:20] All in favour of mine.

[2:01:22] I think Rob, if you can sit down with your manor tomorrow or something to write a letter

[2:01:31] or maybe Lisa writes a letter on the behalf of this select board for us this time.

[2:01:36] myself.

[2:01:36] I think we'll write something to get over to Rob and Jim.

[2:01:42] Okay, thank you.

[2:01:43] So, so I'm going to, so we approved the letter. Can I just get a motion for the chair of the select board to sign that letter?

[2:01:52] So we don't have to track everyone down.

[2:01:55] A motion.

[2:01:56] Second.

[2:01:57] All in favor.

[2:01:58] All right.

[2:01:59] All right.

[2:02:00] All right.

[2:02:00] I was just also saying we have over two bills.

[2:02:06] Okay.

[2:02:06] So when we paid the $65,000,

[2:02:09] Yes, the question was asked to the financial director last year, how much money do we have extra

[2:02:18] end to pay, and that we didn't, but make sure we have the numbers that we still owed.

[2:02:24] And somehow the $14,600 and $1,200 was missed.

[2:02:30] Okay, so that being said, we move on.

[2:02:35] Okay, so I think we're citizens input again.

[2:02:41] I just wanted to say that's around here.

[2:02:45] I mean, can we get that bill paid to like move forward,

[2:02:52] you know, being really good.

[2:02:54] The one that we met that was missed.

[2:02:56] Get current.

[2:02:57] The two.

[2:02:58] Right.

[2:02:59] That makes the total, like in the state.

[2:03:00] Well, that's a count of killing 10 bills, too.

[2:03:02] But Jim was kind enough to share that information when he was getting me the whole run down on the bus so I appreciate that

[2:03:09] And there's a $33,000 appropriation bill that's due. Okay, so

[2:03:17] It's September 14 now

[2:03:20] Tax bills are going out next month. Okay for November 15 am it

[2:03:27] I spoke with Jade after Tuesday's meeting last week and told her that once we have the

[2:03:32] funds come in. We paid the $33,000 to her. Okay, so it's time not to buy it but to marble

[2:03:39] value bus. And that's where we have to sit down and have that frank conversation if they decide

[2:03:45] not to and we have the backup with the planning commission. But that would include those two bills

[2:03:51] and just getting $33,000 includes the two bills. Okay, so if they decide to hold on to the $16,000

[2:03:59] and not use $15,000 to a night bus, then we will change the budget for next year, because

[2:04:10] technically the town is only over $12,000 in the past. And we need to go to, I think it's $10,000

[2:04:17] next year is what they ask for. We will not do $33,000. They can have that frank conversation

[2:04:24] bad with us. Okay, so I think the bus is something that's needed here. You know, I don't

[2:04:34] know how they got away without this summertime. There's a lot of people staff needs the

[2:04:40] bus whenever. Ron, I just see your hand up. So give me a second. Yeah, yeah, so I see it's a

[2:04:49] in that. So all right, so you're a question, we have to pay the $33,000.

[2:04:56] Can we just have a minute to reflect that the KPA did pay 5,000 into the night route?

[2:05:02] That's true.

[2:05:02] KPA paid 5,000 into the winter last year.

[2:05:09] The Resort kicked in, I think, 7,500.

[2:05:11] and then there were around 8 or 9 other companies in town that paid 400 or 500 and the

[2:05:20] KPA put in 5,000. So let's make sure that that is in the minutes, okay? All right, and I'll

[2:05:26] give a list to the person that writes the minutes of all those that put the money yet, okay? So

[2:05:32] I'm going to start around the room for us for citizens comment, Deb Burke.

[2:05:38] I know.

[2:05:39] I know.

[2:05:41] Okay.

[2:05:42] Jay Mona.

[2:05:43] Yes.

[2:05:44] So one moment of touch where you said.

[2:05:48] The tax rate is being worked on right now with Sara Naci because of the tip.

[2:05:54] And I believe we're going to, when we get down to selectments, comments, and concerns.

[2:06:00] I know I'm going to be asking for a special meeting, it's either, I forget what the

[2:06:07] date and I have to look it out, that Sarah Macy has given for us the set to date, but

[2:06:12] it's in the first week of October, which is plenty of time for us to get the bills out by

[2:06:19] the October 15th, for an November 15th, okay?

[2:06:25] So, jam, Roger, I guess.

[2:06:28] And Roger, I have one more.

[2:06:30] So, I mean, as a transportation about the fall,

[2:06:40] not bad, but let's put it on the agenda

[2:06:44] for the next meeting for all of you.

[2:06:46] But that's a lot.

[2:06:47] What are you talking about?

[2:06:48] What are you talking about?

[2:06:49] Throwing your matches is out and everything.

[2:06:51] Clean up from the neighborhood.

[2:06:53] So put that on the next.

[2:06:55] And at the same time, me, you want to have the talk of an average

[2:07:02] in that range.

[2:07:03] We're going to have to talk about the rating,

[2:07:04] which is two on both sides.

[2:07:07] Look at that.

[2:07:12] Right.

[2:07:13] Ron Kish, go ahead.

[2:07:17] So I am just, you know, being there has been a lot

[2:07:23] I have to ask, is there an update on where we are with how manager...

[2:07:32] We're currently paying two town managers right now, and where is that in the budget?

[2:07:41] Well, we don't have a fire chief. We're not a full highway department.

[2:07:48] We don't have a director of finance. We don't have a recreation person. We don't have a public worksperson in there.

[2:07:58] So, we're well aware of it, and we are waiting on an answer back this week from the

[2:08:03] town attorney, of when the hearing is going to be.

[2:08:11] I wouldn't look at the leg, I have made, wouldn't look at the leg in the hearing

[2:08:14] and ask for by.

[2:08:18] It's both sides.

[2:08:19] It's both sides.

[2:08:21] What's both sides?

[2:08:22] Well, I'm just being kind of, I can talk to you, okay.

[2:08:25] Patrick, please be quiet, well, I'm not going to talk to Patrick, please be

[2:08:30] Patrick this is not your meeting, okay? It is not your meeting public doesn't talk to public

[2:08:38] directed to the chair and you're not up yet. Never alive. Do I have Ron?

[2:08:45] I'm sorry. I'm only asking because with the delight you think he's on tape leave our tax dollars are being spent so

[2:08:56] as a tax payer, I'm just asking.

[2:08:59] And we answer to questions.

[2:09:00] This is nothing, bit Patrick, this is nothing against you.

[2:09:03] This is nothing against the town, I just want to ask.

[2:09:05] Ron, don't have a conversation with another public person, please.

[2:09:11] Especially with the person that's on paid leave.

[2:09:14] We're not, if the person that's on paid leave would like to talk to us at a board meeting,

[2:09:20] Please forward it to your town attorney, stop talking to not touch your attorney,

[2:09:27] to forward it to the town attorney.

[2:09:30] We are not here to answer the person that is on interim leave at this time.

[2:09:38] Debbie LeBron, you have your hand raised.

[2:09:42] Yeah, just two simple comments.

[2:09:45] When you were talking about the fireworks at the summit,

[2:09:48] And I personally don't have a job, but I know a lot of people are concerned when there

[2:09:55] are fireworks.

[2:09:56] So I'm thinking that the town should have a way to hold people in your fireworks.

[2:10:04] I don't know how to do it.

[2:10:08] Possibly the display board that the, I don't know if it's the fire department down.

[2:10:13] We will be putting it up onto the display, the firehouse, and then also the KPA AS here.

[2:10:19] and there we'll be putting it up at the side of the bottom of the road and then when there's

[2:10:26] Mailchimp.

[2:10:27] And as Mailchimp, the Mailchimp will go out and the minutes will reflect it in its two weeks

[2:10:32] and a couple of days from now.

[2:10:34] Because we did small days, we could put some, let me just finish the study.

[2:10:39] Jay just said that he's shaking his head, he could put it up at the transportation, we can

[2:10:44] get a notice of it, the library, we could put a notice of it, the market and the

[2:10:51] We can get this out there. I have two dogs and I lived right next to the summit lodge.

[2:11:01] So I understand how dogs need to be.

[2:11:05] Well, owners of tools need to be warned.

[2:11:08] So it's solid set, but we will get this out.

[2:11:12] So, I'm not just for this event, but for any fireworks in town, I think it should be something to be brought up on.

[2:11:20] And maybe you call this it.

[2:11:22] The second line of my head was a lot of different bills about the length hanging at the end of the access row.

[2:11:29] I know when I'm traveling, these, and I go past the access row, there's not a fair line for people to stop,

[2:11:37] and it feels like people are coming out with right on to the board, so thank you.

[2:11:42] Thank you, Debbie.

[2:11:43] That's all.

[2:11:44] Thank you.

[2:11:45] And I think it is more that we put a policy.

[2:11:50] I could just want to be out of policy when the fire department was doing it.

[2:11:53] They would put it up at the different sides.

[2:11:55] But if you just want to hear it because it's like five, five, five, three.

[2:11:59] It's not it.

[2:12:00] And I know if you as I always fireworks.

[2:12:02] This is going to be done.

[2:12:02] It's the light time alert. It's the light on September 26th to 5.30, but yeah. So it will be put around, but I do think once we get through the fire to stuff, yeah, hopefully we get a couple more people to fly.

[2:12:19] So you have choice of people. It gets back to lying

[2:12:28] in the papers and stuff.

[2:12:30] And I'm sure poly is on here or listening still or recording and Katie is and it will get that way too

[2:12:38] also on about it.

[2:12:41] Polygis gave thumbs up a nice one and go out the screen and it's very creative.

[2:12:47] Maybe if I could do that with the shooting range too.

[2:12:50] That's all the time, so all right.

[2:12:52] So, it's the shit out of my life.

[2:12:54] Oh, that's the shit.

[2:12:55] So, that's the way I'm not concerned.

[2:12:57] John, anything.

[2:12:59] Bill, I've got no facility anything.

[2:13:01] I do want to mention two quick things.

[2:13:03] And they're kind of, you know, town nice to know.

[2:13:06] So, I think the pilot apartment did a really nice job on the Pancake Breakfast

[2:13:10] last Saturday.

[2:13:11] Bill, you helped and Mary did to early in the morning set up.

[2:13:15] But we did that.

[2:13:16] And I thought they did a great job.

[2:13:18] JP paid for a lot.

[2:13:19] I think all the ingredients.

[2:13:20] I hope they continue to do that.

[2:13:22] So it's the distillery mountain in not one person. Okay, but then the walk was that was nice to the whole plan was great. And then the other thing that I think is really great is the fairytale

[2:13:36] What is the festival festival has a get together from four to six this week and

[2:13:42] Also the the KPA is invited the select board to go to that dinner. So I think both of those are really really nice for people to know

[2:13:51] Thank you. I have nothing. So John I'm motion to motion to adjourn and

[2:14:00] 50 seconds. All in favor.

Killington Select Board

Transcript